[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 9, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 9CFR318.23]
[Page 278-279]
TITLE 9--ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
CHAPTER III--FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE
PART 318_ENTRY INTO OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENTS; REINSPECTION AND
PREPARATION OF PRODUCTS--Table of Contents
Subpart A_General
Sec. 318.23 Heat-processing and stabilization requirements for uncured meat patties.
(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following
definitions shall apply:
(1) Patty. A shaped and formed, comminuted, flattened cake of meat
food product.
(2) Comminuted. A processing term describing the reduction in size
of pieces of meat, including chopping, flaking, grinding, or mincing,
but not including chunking or sectioning.
(3) Partially-cooked patties. Meat patties that have been heat
processed for less time or using lower internal temperatures than are
prescribed by paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
(4) Char-marked patties. Meat patties that have been marked by a
heat source and that have been heat processed for less time or using
lower internal temperatures than are prescribed by paragraph (b)(1) of
this section.
(b) Heat-processing procedures for fully-cooked patties. (1)
Official establishments which manufacture fully-cooked patties shall use
one of the following heat-processing procedures:
Permitted Heat-Processing Temperature/Time Combinations for Fully-Cooked
Patties
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum internal temperature at the center of each Minimum holding time
patty (Degrees) after required
--------------------------------------------------- internal temperature
is reached (Time)
---------------------
Fahrenheit Or centigrade Or
Minutes seconds
------------------------------------------------------------------------
151............................ 66.1............. .68 41
152............................ 66.7............. .54 32
153............................ 67.2............. .43 26
154............................ 67.8............. .34 20
155............................ 68.3............. .27 16
156............................ 68.9............. .22 13
157 (and up)................... 69.4 (and up).... .17 10
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) The official establishment shall measure the holding time and
temperature of at least one fully-cooked patty from each production line
each hour of production to assure control of the heat process. The
temperature measuring device shall be accurate within 1 degree F.
(3) Requirements for handling heating deviations. (i) If for any
reason a heating deviation has occurred, the official establishment
shall investigate and identify the cause; take steps to assure that the
deviation will not recur; and place on file in the official
establishment, available to any duly authorized FSIS program employee, a
report of the investigation, the cause of the deviation, and the steps
taken to prevent recurrence.
(ii) In addition, in the case of a heating deviation, the official
establishment may reprocess the affected product, using one of the
methods in paragraph (b)(1) in this section; use the affected product as
an ingredient in another product processed to one of the temperature and
time combinations in paragraph (b)(1) in this section, provided this
does not violate the final product's standard of composition, upset the
order of predominance of ingredients, or perceptibly affect the normal
product characteristics; or relabel the affected product as a partially-
[[Page 279]]
cooked patty product, if it meets the stabilization requirements in
paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) Stabilization. (1) Fully cooked, partially cooked, and char-
marked meat patties must be produced using processes ensuring no
multiplication of toxigenic microorganisms such as Clostridium
botulinum, and no more than a 1 log10 multiplication of
Clostridium perfringens, within the product.
(2) For each meat patty product produced using a stabilization
process other than one conducted in accordance with the Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system requirements in part 417 of
this chapter, an establishment must develop and have on file, available
to FSIS, a process schedule, as defined in Sec. 301.2 of this chapter.
Each process schedule must be approved in writing by a process authority
for safety and efficacy in meeting the performance standards established
for the product in question. A process authority must have access to an
establishment in order to evaluate and approve the safety and efficacy
of each process schedule.
(3) Under the auspices of a processing authority, an establishment
must validate new or altered process schedules by scientifically
supportable means, such as information gleaned from the literature or by
challenge studies conducted outside the plant.
(4) Partially cooked patties must bear the labeling statement
``Partially cooked: For Safety Cook Until Well Done (Internal Meat
Temperature 160 degrees F.).'' The labeling statement must be adjacent
to the product name, and prominently placed with such conspicuousness
(as compared with other words, statements, designs or devices in the
labeling) as to render it likely to be read and understood by the
ordinary individual under customary conditions of purchase and use.
(5) Char-marked patties must bear the labeling statement ``Uncooked,
Char-marked: For Safety, Cook Until Well Done (Internal Meat Temperature
160 degrees F.).'' The labeling statement shall be adjacent to the
product name, at least one-half the size of the largest letter in the
product name, and prominently placed with such conspicuousness (as
compared with other words, statements, designs or devices in the
labeling) as to render it likely to be read and understood by the
ordinary individual under customary conditions of purchase and use.
[64 FR 744, Jan. 6, 1999]